Automatic welder



Jan. 27, 1925. 1,524,557

O. A. KENYON AUTOMATIC WELDER Filed Dec. 131 1920 O Q... g a

Patented Jan; 27, 1925.

ITED STATES one an. KENYON, or m Yonx, 1v. Y

auronnc mun Amlliflflon fled December 13, 1920. Serial I0. 480,408.

To all whomitmoy concern:

Be it known that I, one A. Kmron, a citizen of the United States, residin at New York city, inthecounty of New ork and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Automatic -Welders, of which the following is a specification.

. My invention relates to automatic electric arc welding, and especially to an improvement in the feedin devices which feed matic arc welding it is necessary to use an electrode, either wire or strip, that is straight and free from Bends in the electrode cause the path of the arc to wabble and ln'nks cause excessive friction in the drive. There are automatic'arc welders of the motor-driven type that include a set of standard straightenlng rolls driven by the feeding roll, but this arrangement is undesirable in any case and totally impracticable when very large size electrodes are used.

In order to give the best results it is essential that the motor which feeds the electrode to the work, should have no other utili than to control the feeding speed of the e ectrode towards the work, as all other -0 erations which are put upon this motor disturb both the motor speed and the stability of the arc. I have devised an improvement whereby any size electrode can be used fr m a reel without imposing any load on the feeding motor. In fact I have provided ll a device which will reduce by a considerable amount the usual and necessary load heretofore placed on the feeding moto ra My invention consists in usi ng afi auxilia motor for driving/the straightening ro fis, and controllingthe speed of said motor by the'flexurein the electrode between the straightening rolls and the feeding rolls. 'W1thout confining myself to any particular construction, I show ini 46 1 a general assembly and electrical connections for a mechanism which illustrates the principle of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail of the circuit controlling device shown at 7 in Fig. 1. Referring to the drawings the electrode 1 is unwound from a reel 4 and fed to- -well-known type which are adapted to a suitable framework 5 and the rolls the electrode towards t e work. In auto- 'on which the knurled feeding roll 7 is its center, through which slot the electrode PATENT OFFICE.

wards the work, which I have indicated by the numeral2. 3-3 are the usual feeding rolls actuated by an electric motor for the purg se of feeding the electrode towards the wor 55' are straightening rolls of a straighten the electrode as it comes from the reel and present the same to the feeding" rolls 3 in substantially straight form. The straightening rolls are adjustably journaled 55' have their axes at right angles to each other,'so' that the rolls 5 straighten in one direction and the ,rolls 5 in the other, thereby insuring equal straightening pressure for the purpose of IBIIIOVlIlg kinks andbends in either direction;

Mounted on a suitable base I provide an electric motor 6, which rotates a shaft 6' mounted. Opposed to the feeding roll 7 is a corresponding roll, preferably slotted, which acts as an idler roll in cooperation with the knurled roll 7 in feeding the electrode at this point.- The motor 6 is connected to a source of constant-potential 6, and its speed is adjusted by the field rheostat l3, to a value higher than the maximum feeding speed of the feeding roll- 33.

I will now describe the circuit controlling device which I have devised to control the speed of the motor 6 and reference is made to the Fig. 2 of the drawings. A plate 7' isprovided supported bi any suitable means, and-thi plate has a 'slot 7 through 1 passes. A plunger 8 having a head 8,

and backed by a spring 10 is mounted within the slot 7* adjacent the path of the electrode. The opposite end of this plunger is in proxmity to the contacts 99", and is adapted when moved towards said contacts against the tension of the spring 10, to force said contacts together and close a circuit at this point. The contacts 9-49 are connected through the lines 1212' across the terminals of the field rheostat, and are ada ted to short circuit said rheostat when unite The operation of my arrangement is as from the reel i follows:

The electrode is drawn the pull of the roll 7, actuated by the I motor 6, and'the electrode is drawn through the straightening rolls 5, The feeding rollsfl3- 3 are rotating and are fe'eding the Sinoe'the motor 6, as has been heretofore de-" T through the rolls 3-3, and will flex between electrode'at that time towards thelwork.

scribed, is normally'operating at a higher speed than the electric motor, which 1s actuatin the feed rolls 33, the electrode will be fe faster --'through the rolls 7 than said points due to this"'differenoe in speed. When the electrode becomes so flexed. between these points that it bears against the II cad 8 of the plunger 8, it will actuate said plunger against the tension of the spring 10,

and close the contacts 9-9, thereby short circuiting the rheostat 13, and reducing the speed .of the motor 6. Upon the reductlon of the speed of the motor 6, below the speed] of the motor drivin the feeding rolls, the electrode will be fed y the rolls 3 at a faster rate than by the roll 7, and the flex in the 1 electrode between these points will be reduced. As soon as the flex between these points is reduced so that the electrode ceases to bear upon the plun er- 8, the contacts 99 V will be opened, and the motor 6 will resume tor, to a greater extent than has been hereits normal speed. The electrode is normally flexed betweeni'the rolls 3 and the rolls vjust enough to keep it in thesame direction and to ehminate any possibility of a direct 'pull from the feeding rolls 3 against thestraightening rolls,'which would impose an excessive load on the feeding motor driving-the rolls 3 and defeat the purpose of the device. a k

In the operation of my arrangement. the

motor 6 it will be seen, runs alternately too fast and too slow in comparison with the motor drivin the average 0 the speed of the motor 6 is always just equal to .-the feeding speed regpired to keepthe arch at constant length. o mechanism is shown for the driving of the feeding roll 3-3 "and they may be driven byal motor controlled by the arc' or by any othefsuitabl means," either continuous or step by step.

It will thus'be seen that I-have devised arrangement; for an automatic welder that wlll relievethe strain upon the feeding mow tofore possible, and that by my arrangement the electrode itself controlsthe speed of the straightening rolls, and-the-feed of the electrode through these'rolls,from the reel on which it is wound.

Having thus {described my invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is 1. In automatic arc Welding,- mechanism for feeding the electrode toward the work,

and means for reducing the load or pull on' the feeding motor.

- said means being controlled electrode to" the said feeding means being adapted to the feeding rolls 33, and

2. In automatic arc welding, mechanism .4. In automatic arch welding, mechanism. for feeding the electrode toward the work,

and separate means for delivering the said electrode to the said feeding mechanism, by the speed of the feeding motor. n 5

5. In automatic arch welding, mechanism for feeding the electrode toward the work, and separate means for delivering'thesaid mechanism,

said means being controlled by the speed; of

the feeding motor and adapted to reduce load on the said feeding motor.

6. In automatic arch welding, mechanism for feeding the electrode toward thexwork,

and separate means for delivering the said electrode to the said feedin mechanism, said as it nears the feeding mechanism 7.In automatic 'arc welding, mechanism for feeding the electrode toward the work,

ex the electrodeandseparate means for delivering said electrode to the. said feeding mechanism, said means being adaptedto flex the electrode as it nears the feeding mechanism. and to limit.

the amount of flexure thereof.

8. In automatic arch welding,me chanism "ice for feedingthe electrode toward the work,

and separate means for delivering the Said' electrode to the said, feeding mechanism,

said means being adapted to intermittently.

run faster than the feeding mechanism to flex the electrode as it nears the feeding mechanism. 9. In-automatic arc welding, mechanism for feeding the electrode toward the work,

and separate means for delivering the-said electrode to the said feeding mechanism,

said means being adaptedto run alternately faster and slower than the feeding mechanlsmato' flex the electrode.

'- it); In""'automat ic arc welding, mechanism for feeding the electrode toward the work,

and separate means for delivering the said electrode tothe said feeding mechanism, said means being controlled by-the speed of the feeding mechanisni and adapted to be run alternately faster and slower to maintain the electrode in a flexed state as it nears the feeding mechanism.

11 In automatic arc welding, means for unwinding from a reel and straighteningjan electrode, mechanism for feeding said elec- I trode towardthe work, and means for controlling the speed of the said straightening means by the speed of the said feeding mechanism.

12. Inautomatic arc welding, means for,

unwinding from a reel and strai htening 5 an electrode, separate mechanism or feeding said electrode toward the work, said means adapted to be controlled by the feeding mechanism to run alternately faster and slower, to maintain the electrode flexed as it enters the feeding mechanism} In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

QTIS ALLEN KENYON. 

